Minbari Elves (3.5e Race)

Elves

Personality

Minbari have a very highly ordered social system and prize honor and service among all things.

Physical Description

Elves average 5 feet tall and typically weigh just over 100 pounds. They live on fruits and grains, though occasionally eat fresh meat if served to them by another race on a formal occasion. Elves prefer earth tone clothes, usually with greens, browns and grays that are formed in simple patterns and style usually reminiscent of the oriental style.

Minbari elves differ from other elves in appearance in several ways. First they all completely hairless and have very pale almost albino in coloration with pale greenish or bluish spots on their bodies. Also their ears are only half the size of others elves set very low on their heads compared to other elves, although this in no way effects their hearing in any way. Instead of head hair, the Minbari have an external bone plate (more closely related to antlers actually) that circles and covers the back of their head from one temple to the opposite.

The Minbari carve their head bones elaborately as other races develop hair styles. The Warrior Caste tends toward sharp angular styles with several upward pointing spikes, while the Religious Caste prefers rounded softer style with a single peak in the back. However the Workers Caste are the far most interesting in that they are rounded like the Religious but combine the use of several upward pointing spikes like the Warrior and it is rumored that their mages often include arcane runes on the sides and back that may be able to be enchanted.

Alignment

Most, at least 75% of Minbari are good aligned with most of the remaining being neutral. Only extremely rarely does an evil Minbari appear, which is a very good thing for the continued existence of the rest of the multi-verse.

Lands

For the past 500,000 years the Minbari have usually been encountered in space on their ships, rarely outsides allowed into their homelands and return with tail of ancient huge crystal cities of amazing beauty.

Religion

Minbari do not worship gods in the normal manner. They believe that when they die their souls return to a collective consciousness to be reborn in another generation. The power for their divine spells come from this collective.

Language

Automatic Languages: Common, Elven. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Sylvan.

Racial Traits

Elf Traits: All Minbari Elves possess the following racial traits which are added to their caste traits, this is cumulative with the Caste traits and are not replaced by them.

• No ability score with a negative starting racial adjustment may be increase by more than half of it's starting penalty when leveling.
• Medium size.
• An elf ’s base land speed is 30 feet.
• Immunity to sleep spells and effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects. (Not reflected in the saving throw modifiers given here.)
• Low-light vision.
• Weapon Proficiency: Elves are automatically proficient with the Minbari Pike and Crossbow (Either one of the light, heavy, or great types, but it must be selected at character creation and never changes), and are indeed the only two weapons they are able to use despite what class weapons are available.
• +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. An elf who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Elven. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Sylvan.

Castes

The above information describes the common Minbari elf traits, the most common variety. These are modified as follows by the three Castes of these elves, in addition to half-elves, who share enough elven characteristics to be included here. Minbari half-elves are also somewhat unique, normally Minbari elves never marry or procreate outside their castes. However sometimes an elf will rarely find a mate in a human or even more rarely another castes.

Warrior Caste

Warrior Caste are not truly an elf subrace, but rather a group of Minbari that best utilizes their abilities to best combat effect. Warrior Traits: Warriors possess the following racial traits.

• +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma
• Racial Favorite Weapon (Minbari Pike): +1 Attack, +2 damage when using this weapon however a -2 attack, -1 damage (0 result is possible) with all other weapons. This stacks with other feats that effect attack and damage score such as Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, Two-handed Weapon or any others
• Favored Class: Any Fighter. When determining whether a multi-class Warrior Caste takes an experience point penalty for multi-classing, her highest-level class does not count.

Religious Caste

Religious Caste are not truly an elf subrace, but rather a group of Minbari that best utilizes their abilities to best healing effect.

Religious Traits: These traits are in addition to the high elf traits, except where noted.

• -2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, 0 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma
• +4 heal skill
• Favored Class: Any Divine Caster. When determining whether a multi-class Religious Caste takes an experience point penalty for multi-classing, her highest-level class does not count.

Worker Caste

Worker Caste are not truly an elf subrace, but rather a group of Minbari that best utilizes their abilities to best arcane or crafting effect.

Worker Traits: These traits are in addition to the high elf traits, except where noted.

• -2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma
• +4 Knowledge (arcane) and craft(any) skills
• Favored Class: Any Arcane Caster. When determining whether a multi-class Worker Caste takes an experience point penalty for multi-classing, her highest-level class does not count.

Half-Human Minbari

Taller and grander in physical appearance than others of their race, Half-Human Minbari elves have a reputation for being a bridge. They have hair on their heads and eyebrows like their first parent but can not grow mustaches or beards. They also have the head bone of the second parent although only half as large and it wraps around both the back of skull and hair from either temple.

Half-Human Traits: These traits are in addition to the high elf traits.

Select parent's caste to determine ability adjustments

• +4 Diplomacy skill
• Are able to Multi-class as Half-Elf or Dual class as a human, NOT both!
• Favored Class: Any Class

Half-Elf Minbari

The first class choosen determines the characters

Half-Elf Traits: These traits are in addition to the high elf traits, except where noted.

Combine all of the trait of both parents

Vital Statistics

Table: Minbari Random Starting Ages

Adulthood	Simple	Moderate	Complex
years	+	+	+

Table: Minbari Aging Effects

Middle Age1	Old2	Venerable3	Maximum Age
years	years	years	+ years
At middle age, −1 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At old age, −2 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At venerable age, −3 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.

Table: Minbari Random Height and Weight

Gender	Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Male	4' 4"	+2d6	90 lb.	+ (1d8+1) x5 lb.
Female	4' 0"	+2d6	80 lb.	+ (1d8) x5 lb.

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